HDrug Administration 

 
p.c.  post cibum  After meals  
Medication Measurements  
1. Metric System   c.c.  cum cibum  With meals  
- Most widely used 
OD   oculus dexter   Right eye  
- Based on decimal system; mgs, grams, kgs 
2. Apothecary system   OS   oculus sinister   Left eye  
- A  very  old  system  used  by  apothecaries  or 
pharmacists   OU   oculus uterque   Both eyes  
- Uses  minim  (basic  unit  of  liquid  measure);  pints, 
AD   uris dextra   Right ear  
quarts, gallons a 
- Grain (basic unit of solid measure)   AS   auris sinistra   Left ear  
3. Household measure  
- Measuring system found in recipe books  AU  auris uterque  Both ears  
4. Avoirdupois system  
Gtts   gutta  Drops  
- Older  system  used  by  pharmacists  to  compound 
medications; pounds, ounces   c  cum  with 
 
Apothecary & Metric Equivalencies  s  sine  without 

1 ounce   30 ml  1ml  15-20 gtts   p.o.  per os  By mouth 

1 dram   4ml  1 in   2.54 cms   NPO  nil per os  Nothing by mouth 

1 grain   60 m g   1 foot   12 in  IVP    intravenous push 

1 kg   2.2 lbs   1 gram   1,000 mg   IVPB  (2 meds at a  Intravenous 

time)  piggyback 
1 lb  454 g  1 kg   1000 g 
RTC   w/ or w/o pain:  Round the clock 
1 gtt   4 mcgtts  1 tsp   5 ml  must administer 
 
1 glass   240 ml  1 tbsp   15ml  
Medication Orders  
 
Chart Forms  
Medication Abbreviations   1. Standing Order Sheet  
Abbrev   Latin   Meaning  - Medication, treatment  
- Orders given to the client in a ​specified time  
OD   omne in die  Once a day 
2. Vital Signs (TPR) Sheet  
- Pain  Scale, RR, PR, Temp, Bowel Movement, Urine 
BID   bis in die  Twice a day 
output  
TID   ter in die  Thrice a day   3. Fluid Intake and output sheet  
- Intake: per orem or intravenous  
QID   quarter in die  4x a day  
4. Intravenous Fluid Sheet  
ODHS   omne in die  Once a day hours of  - How many medication  
hora somni  sleep  5. Blood and blood component sheet  
6. Physician’s Order Sheet  
QH/Q  quaque hora  Every hour  - Most important → origin of order  

PRN   pro re nata  As needed  7. Medication and treatment sheet  

- Transcribe  doctor’s  order  in  terms  of  medication 
STAT   statim  immediately  and treatment  
8. Nurse’s Notes  
a.c.  ante cibum  Before meals  
9. Laboratory Sheets  
 10. Diabetes Monitoring Sheet  
AT 
11. Consent for Operation Sheet  
12. Consent for procedures    

13. Safe medication administration checklist    

14. Patient data sheet  

 
Types of Order:  
● Standing Order 
- Pre-written  medication  order  and  specified 
instructions  from  a  doctor  to  administer  a 
medication  to  a  person  in  clearly  defined 
circumstances;  one  that  is  carried  out  as 
specified until it is canceled by another order.  
 
- Given within a specified time. Example: 7 days  
● Single order 
- Refers  to  medications  to  be  administered  at 
once  at  specified  time;  the  directive  is  carried 
out only once 
- Given as needed (STAT, PRN)  

 
 
  10 rights of drug administration  
 
1. Right Drug  
Medication Cards  
2. Right Patient  
Frequency  Color   Standard Time  3. Right Dose  
(USTH)   - Based on patient’s weight  
4. Right Route  
OD/Q24H   Orange   9 am 
5. Time & Frequency  
BID   Blue   9 am-6pm  6. Documentation 
7. History & Assessment  
TID   White   9am-1pm-6pm  - reason  why  drug  was  administered & assessment 
of the drug's effect  
QID   Blue   9am-1pm-5pm-9
pm  8. Drug Approach & right to refuse  
- How to instruct patient  
ODHS  Yellow  9pm  9. Drug-Drug interaction & evaluation  
10. Education & Information 
Q4H/Q8H  Yellow   
 
Q3H/Q6H/Q12H  Pink    Medication Preparations  
1. Tablets 
QH/Q2H/PRN/ST Green  RTC  2. Capsules 
 dosage 0.125 mg 0.25 mg
3. Lozenges  a. stock
x Quantity = 0.25mg
x 2 pptabs = 0.25mg
= 1 
4. Suppositories  pptablet/dose  
5. Syrups   
6. Suspensions  b. 1 tab
2 pptabs
x 1 pptab
dose
x 1 dose
day
x 7 days
week
2 weeks = 14
2
= 7 tabs  
7. Aerosol solution   
8. Transdermal patch   
9. Ointments  3.  Hydrocortisone  50  mg/IV  Q6H  for  2  days.  (Stock  on 
10. Parenteral drugs from ampules   hand: 100mg/2 mL vial) 
11. Parenteral drugs from vials  a. How many ml will be given per dose? 
12. Aerosol sprays  b. How  many  vials  should  be  available  for  the 
13. Syringes  whole course of treatment? 
14. Volume Controlled set (Soluset): Drop factor: 60  
15. Microset  (has  a  needle)  →  drop  factor:  60 
gtts/minute  
16. Macroset: 15-20 gtts/minute  
   

Medication Computations   

1. Paracetamol  500mg/tablet,  give 500 mg PO Q4H  4. Infuse IVF PNSS 500 mL in 5 hours 

RTC for 48 hours  a. How many mL per hour will be infused? 

a. How many tablets per dose?  b. What  will  be  the  IV  regulation  in  drops  per 

b. How many tablets per day?  minute? *15 drop factor 

c. How  many  tablets  for  the  whole  course  of  c. If  a microset or a soluset will be used, what will be 

treatment?  the  regulation  in  mcgtts  per  minute?  *60  drop 

  factor 

Solution:    

   
a. desired x quantity = 500mg
x 1 tablet = 500 = 1 tab/dose    
stock 500mg 500

b. 24hrs x 1 tablet = 24 = 6 tabs/day   5.  Co-Amoxiclav  1  G/  SIVP  every  12  hours  for  7  days 
day 4 hours 4
2 days (Stock: 1 gram vial diluted in 10 mL in PNSS) 
c. 48 hours
x 6 tablet = 12 tablets/ 48 hours
1 day
 
a. How many ml per dose will be needed? 
 
b. How  many  vials  are  needed  to  complete  the 
 
therapeutic regimen? 
2.  Digoxin  0.125  mg  PD  OD  for  2  weeks.  (Stock:  0.25  mg 
c. If  this  drug  is  to  be  incorporated  with  PNSS  in  a 
tablets divided into 2 papertablets) 
soluset  to  make a 100 mL solution to be infused in 
a. How many pptabs should you give per dose? 
one  hour,  how  will you regulate it in mcgtts/ min? 
b. How  many  tablets  should  be  available  for  the 
*60 drop factor 
whole course of treatment? 
 

 
Solution 

 
   Benefits of the Nursing process 
6.  Metronidazole  250  mg  /  microset  to  run  for  30  minutes  ● Consistent and systematic nursing education 
Q6H  for  5  days.  (Stock:  500mgs/100  mL  intravenous  ● Confidence 
solution)  ● Job satisfaction 
a. How many mL per dose will be needed?  ● Professional growth  
b. How  many  vials  are  needed  to  complete  the  ● Avoidance of legal action 
therapeutic regimen?  ● Meeting professional nursing standard  
c. What  will  be  the  regulation  in  mcgtts  per  minute  ● Meeting standard of accredited hospital  
since a microset will be used? *60 drop factor  ● Adds in staff assignment  
  ● Quality patient care 
● Continuity of care  
● Participation by the clients in the healthcare  
 
Components of the Nursing Process 
1. Assessment  
  ● Deliberate  and  systematic  collection  of 
  information  about  a  patient  to  determine  the 
Nursing Process  patient’s  current  and  past  health  and  functional 
status  and  his  or  her  present  and  past  coping 
patterns (Carpentino-Moyet, 2013).  
● Must be accurate and thorough data collection 
● Activities:  
○ collection  of  information,  organization 
(cluster),  interpretation  (normal  or  not) 
and validation documentation 
2. Nursing Diagnosis  
● Clinical  judgment  concerning  a ​human response 
to  health  condition/life  processes,  or vulnerability 
 
for  that  response  by  an  individual,  family  or 
 
community  that  a  nurse  is  licensed  and 
Scientific Method   Nursing Process  competent to treat  
● Focuses  on  a  client’s  response  to  a  health 
Ask Questions/Gather Data  Assessment 
problem,  rather  than  on  the  problem  itself  &  it 
Identify the Problem  Diagnosis  provides the structure through which nursing care 
can be delivered 
Formulate a question/hypothesis  Planning  Types of Nursing Diagnosis 
● Problem Focused Nursing Diagnosis 
Test the question or hypothesis  Implementation 
● Risk Nursing Diagnosis  
EvaluateEvaluate results of the test  Evaluation  ● Health PromotionNursing Diagnosis 
or study   ● Syndrome Diagnosis 

  North  american  Nursing  Diagnosis  Association  (NANDA) 

  international nursing diagnosis  

Nursing Process  ● Has 13 domains:   

● Fundamental  blueprint  for  how  to  care  for  Components of a Nursing Diagnosis 

patients.   a. Problem Statement  

● Critical  thinking  5-step  process  that  professional  ● Describes  the  client’s  health  problem  for  which 

nurses use to apply the best available LUHHH  nursing therapy is given.  

  b. Etiology 
 ● Cause or related factors and risk   management,  or health restoration in a variety of 
c. Symptoms or defining characteristics  setting 
Formulating the Diagnosis  Types of Intervention 
● Basic two-part statement  ● Independent nursing interventions  
○ Problem - client's response  ○ Nurse  initiates  without  supervision  or 
○ Etiology  -  factors  contributing  to  or  direction from others  
probable causes of responses   ○ Nursing Orders (NO):  
○ The  two  part  joined  by the words related  ■ Preventive NO 
to, or associated with rather than due to  ■ Observation NO 
○ Example:  Noncompliance  (  diabetic  ■ Health promotive NO 
diet) related to denial of having disease  ● Dependent  
● Basic three-part statement  ○ Actions  that  require  an  order  from  a 
○ Problem  healthcare provider 
○ Etiology  ● Collaborative Interventions  
○ Signs  and  symptoms  -  defining  ○ Or  interdependent  interventions  are 
characteristics manifested by the client  therapies  that  require  the  combine 
○ Recommended  for  beginners  bec.  Signs  knowledge, skill, and expertise of multiple 
and  symptoms  validates  why  the  healthcare providers  
diagnosis wht pocha  5. Evaluation 
○ Example:  Acute  pain  related  to  surgical  ● A  ongoing  process  that  occurs  whenever  you 
incision  as  manifested  by PRS 7/10, facial  have contact with a patient  
grimacing, guarding behavior  ● Determine  whether  the  client's  goals  have  been 
3. ​Planning  met, partially met, or have not been met  
● States  the  objectives  and  strategies  of  action  to  Care plan revision 
perform to solve the client’s health problem  ● Discontinuing a care plan 
Priority Setting   ● Modifying a care plan 
● Ordering  of  nursing  diagnoses  or  patient  ○ Reassessment  
problems  using  notions  of  urgency  and  ○ Redefining diagnoses  
importance  to  establish  a  preferential  order  for  ○ Goals and expected outcome  
nursing interventions   ○ Interventions   
● Consider Maslow’s hierarchy of needs    
Writing Goals  
● Specific or singular goal  
● Measurable  
○ Use  standards  where  outcomes  will  be 
measured or observed  
● Attainable  
○ Attainable when mutually agreed upon 
● Realistic  
● Timed 
○ Short-term: few hours or days  
○ Long-term:  achievement  over  ra  long 
period of time, weeks, or months   
4. Implementation 
● Putting nursing care plan into action  
● To  fulfill  the  clients  needs  that  results  in  health 
promotion,  prevention  of  illness,  illness